US1080592A - Playing-ball. - Google Patents

Description

A. T. SAUNDERS.

PLAYING BALL.

Arrmonmu rump llA1L8, 10.11.

Patented Dec. 9, 1913.

m woe n fo'z 5X il 'M burrs ermine PATENT ()FFICE.

ADDISON '1. SAUNDERS, OF AKRON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO A. G. SPALDING & BR'O OF JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

PLAYING-BALL.

i alt-50,592.

finalisa ion filed March 8, 1911.

P 'wm it may concern lie 1: known that l, Aouzsox "l. siumnnns, -.witizcn of the United States, residing in run, in the vState of Ohio, have invetted curtain new and useful improvements in Playing-Balls, of which the following is a. specification, ierenee being had to the accoinpanying (.lrawing, forn'ung a part hereof.

This invention relates to balls, suea as those which are used in various games and especially in the gan'ie of golf, which must he pos used of cousi-ilcrable resilience and, being struck from time to time with bats or clubs, are liable to momentary deformation. Such balls usually have a relatively small core upon wl'iich is formed, usually by winding rubber thread under tension, a more or iess resilient body, a. shell or cover of gutta-pcrclni or other suitable material being molded upon the resilient body. The cores of such baits have been formed heretofore of various substances, such hard, vulcanized rubber or giula-percha, unvulcanized or pure rubber in solid form and pure rubber thread wound to form a small ball. All of these cores, although somewhat. yielding and resilient, nevertheless substantially retain their shape, especially under the compression towhich they are SUlJJCCtQtl by the body oti thc hall, and are generally' called hard cores. The advantages of soft cores, that is, cores formed of a substance which is more or less mobile in diameter, so that, when the balls are struck, the cores shall be readily capable of deformation, have been recognized generally and various attempts have been made to provide satisfactory soft cores. lhus balls have been madehvith cores which consist of rubber bags filled with water or some other suitable liquid, mineral salts in solution being added to increase the specific gravity. Balls have also been made with cores which consist of similar bags filled with oil or. with a. sapr naceouscompound, with metal filings or other mineral substances to increase the specific gravity. Cores have also been made of soft rubber dough composed of raw rubber mixed with. mineral and oils. It has been found, however, that with water cores or rubber balls filled with water or other liquid there is, in use, more or less seepage or per colation of the Water from the core. which results in loss of size and of weight in the Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 9, 1913.

Serial No. 613,030.

core and eventually, through the drying out of the water, in loss of weightin the. body itself; and that with cores formed of balls containing oil or saponaceous compounds, there is not only some loss of weightand size in the cores themselves, but a deterioration of the quality of'the body through the action thereon of the oils and liquid constituents of the saponaceous compounds, resulting' sometimes in the loosening of the paint on the cover; while with cores formed of soft rubber dough composed of raw rubber mixed with minerals and oils, there is also a loss of size and weight in the cores, and a still n'lorc rapid deterioration of the bodies of the balls through the action of the oils which are gradually separated from the soft rubber and penetrate the body of the ball.

It is the object of this invention to provide playing, balls of the character referred to having, cores which are sufficiently soft, that is, mobile or semi-fluid in character, to permitthe advantages of soft cores to be realized, while the disadvantages incident to the use of the soft cores heretofore do vised are obviated. To this end the im-' proved cores a re made of a soft, vulcanized rubber compound,that. is, a compound of soft or pure rubber, sulfur and a softening agent, such at petrnlatum, or a suitable oil, mixed in such proportions as to produce the desired degree of softness, and sul'isequently vulcanized. The degree of softness of the core thus secured is greater than in the ordinary vulcanized rubber cores, so that the desired mobile character is secured, and, at the same time. the compound is permanent so that there is no separation of any of the constitu nts thereof in use. The soft core thus produced therefore retains its size and weight and yields nothing which affects the character of the body of the ball. The desired specific gravity of the core maybe secure-.l by adding to the compound, before \-'ulcanizati m, lithargc or other suitable substances.

The invention will be. more fully explained hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawing, the single figure of which represents, in section, a golf ball having the improved core. I

Tn the ball shown in the drawing the softrore (1., formed as described herein, may have a primary wrapping, as of a shortlcugth of relatively wide rubber tape 1), (S-

pecially if the core is not molded in spherical form but is cut from a block of the vulcanized compound and should be given a spherical form. Upon the core, whether with or without the wrapping of tape, is formed the body 0, preferably by winding rubber thread under tension and outside of the body may be the shell or cover (1, usually, in the case of a golf ball, of gutta percha or other plastic material moldedon the body.

In the preferred manner of making the improved core, a quantity of raw rubber is broken down upon warm mixing rolls or in a dough mill and mixed with a suitable proportion 'oflitharge or other eomminuted mineral 'to give the desired weight, and with oil, petrolatum or other suitable, softening agent'in such proportion as to'secure the degree of softness required, sufficient sulfurbeing added for vulcanization. The relative quantity of softening agent employed may vary within quite wide limits according to the result to be produced.

- When the compound has thus been formed itis cured or vulcanized either in spherical molds of the proper size or in blocks or slabs from which pieces of suitable size to from cores may be cut and afterward wound with rubber tape to secure the proper shape for the application of the body, usually by the winding on of rubber thread under tension. A satisfactory mixture for the core of a golf ball of a desirable weight and behavior, may consist of sig tecn parts by weight of raw rubber of good quality,

of litharge, and one part of sulfur, but ohviously the proportion of litharge or other -mineral will be increased or diminished according to the weight which is desired. and satisfactory results, according to the reusing oil in widely different proportions. It will be evident, therefore, that the invention is not restricted to any )articula-r softening agentor to any partieuiar weighting material, or' to any particular proportions of the softening agent and raw rubber,

I claim as my invention:

1. A playing ball having a core of a soft vulcanized compound of rubber impregnated with a non-volatile hydrocarbon softening agent, and a body formed thereon.

2. A,playing ball having a core of a. soft vulcanized compound of rubber impregnated with a non-volatile hydrocarbon softening agent, and a body of rubber thread wound ,thereon.

this 4th day of March A. 1)., 1911.

ADDISON. T. SAUNDERS.-

Signed in the presence of CLARENCE H. ARCHER,

EARL C. DANIELS.

eight parts of petrolatum, seventeen parts sults desired, have also been secured by This specification signed and witnessed 60

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